A visit to Barbados would not be complete without some authentic Barbadian cuisine. From the ground provisions to the grilled fish and everything in between, we have something here for every palate. For all you foodies check out these spots for a satisfying belly full as us locals would say.

These are recommendations from my girl Nao who recently moved here from England . I think she has realy great taste and one bite of these delicacies will have you licking your lips and nodding in agreement . Check out Traditional Bajan Cuisine.

When you think of Barbados what is the first thing that comes to mind? After Rihanna .. the sun, sea, and sand of course! My fellow beach lovers can attest that no two beaches are created alike. Some just have a special place in our hearts; after all, saltwater soothes the soul. There is one beach you absolutely have to visit when in Barbados: Carlisle Bay. For us who live in the neighborhood, it is affectionately known as Browne’s beach. There are so many reasons why you must pay a visit to this beach. I must admit I am a bit biased it is my neighborhood after all. I promise after you read this post you will understand why I think it is one of the best beaches on the island. It is simply an all-inclusive fun in the sun experience.

Browne’s beach is one of the largest beaches in Barbados. These calm pristine waters are perfect for a sea bath, diving and swimming with the turtles. The golden sands will entice you to grab a beach chair and lounge, not to mention you can lime at any one of the four beach bars/ nightclubs. Each has something to offer to suit anyone’s tastes.

On this beautiful stretch of beach you can find :

Harbour Lights: They are well-known for their Beach Extravaganza and Dinner Show; which happens every Monday and Wednesday evening. This show gives you an authentic peek at Barbadian culture.

Copacabana: They offer day passes and one of my faves Pudding and Souse Fridays.

Just hop on a route 11 van and you can get to the heart of Bridgetown or in a few minutes you could be on the south coast. After your wonderful soak at the beach, you can take in a bit of history at the Barbados Museum or pop over to the Garrison Savannah.

Take a tour of George Washington House and have some breakfast or lunch at Coffee Barbados. This gem is tucked away in Bush hill on the same site as the house If you prefer you can grab a bite at Cuz’s fish shack for some of the best fish cutters (sandwiches) in Barbados. It is located in Aquatic Gap behind the Hilton Hotel.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay that is close to the beach this area has that covered as well.

Hilton Hotel,

Nautilus Beach Apartments

Savannah Hotel,

Sugar Bay,

Banyan Court Apartments

Just to name a few.

This beach is a hive of activity. Whether you want to get a tan, spend a fun day with the family, have a taste of local cuisine or simply just want to relax and take in the scenery there is something here for you.

Have you ever visited Barbados? Share your experiences I would love to hear from you 🙂

Flower Alley is located on Broad Street next to the Lower Broad street taxi stand. This caught my eye because of the street wall art. Am I the only one that thinks street murals are creative and attention-grabbing. This one captures some scenes from traditional Barbadian life. Kudos to the artist.

Flower Alley is also named after a horse owned by Eugene Melnyk, a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who lives in Barbados. In honour the horse he adopted the street in 2012.

Hi there Lovelies, I have decided to do a series on Barbados during the month of November. Barbados became independent on November 30th, 1966. If you are curious about this beautiful island that I call home: stay tuned for some fun facts, pictures and tidbits. Welcome to Bajan Things: An Independence Series.

Today’s highlight is The Pride Of Barbados or Caesalpinia pulcherrima.It is also known as peacock flowers, dwarf poincianas and red bird-of-paradise.A member of the pea family this vibrantly coloured flower embraces the heat as it grows all year round. This one is truly a gardeners’ delight as it flourishes in almost any type of soil. If untrimmed it can grow as tall as ten to fifteen feet. The most common varieties are a mixture of vibrant red/ orange and yellow petals. There are also some which are all yellow; a perfect representation of the glorious sunsets we get to experience daily.

You can find the Pride of Barbados in Queen’s Park and Independence Square in the heart of Bridgetown. The capital city of Barbados. Since it grows in any soil you are likely to spot them while out and about around the island. If you are a plant lover or just a lover of exquisite things this one will surely grab your attention.

Does your country have a national flower? Share your answers in the comments 🙂

This past Sunday, October 1st I celebrated 36 crazy years on this planet. I usually keep it simple and just have a birthday dinner. This year I wanted to try something different as I was browsing through Facebook I stumbled upon Umi Barbados page.

What first caught my attention was the fact they offered a free birthday cake. Hello ! Free cake is a cake lovers dream. My friend Marvin was my date for the night. I think he probably loves eating even more than I do. He is like the best boyfriend I never had; what can I say he keeps me young. Good company and delicious cuisine it was the recipe for a night of sheer perfection.

Umi Barbados is located in The Sugar Bay resort, Hastings Christ Church. They serve Asian Fusion. I give them five stars. Everything was just legit. If you are ever in Barbados this is one of my recommended places to try.

Location

Clean and elegant surroundings and you have a view of the ocean while you dine.

The fountain at the hotel’s entrance. I just wanted to dive inFront desk area

View of the pool from the restaurant’s balcony

Service

The staff was super attentive, courteous and accommodating.

Price

Excellent Value for money. The entire meal was 123 Bds. I think that was a steal. Check out their menu here Umi Menu

Taste

I never had sushi before. This was a great tasting first try. The cake was rich and moist and the cocktails to die for. Did I mention we got a complimentary bottle of Champagne?

Complimentary appetizer of stir fry veggiesSugar Bay Heaven and it was!Me trying to use chopsticks and failing miserablyCrispy California. Wasabi packs a punchMarvin’s selection The AlaskanShrimp Pad Thai Special You can also get it with Chicken . I had to take home half of thisBirthday Cake. #chocolate-wasted

Free Champagne. Yes we finished it all

And To top it all off there was a live band. They sang all the latest hits and also took requests.

I was scrolling through Facebook one day and stumbled upon a post that one of my friends tagged by Women Who Paint Rocks. Being the creative craft lover that I am I decided to check out the page.

It took me back to my days in Primary school when I was in the Brownie Guides and I had to decorate some sea rocks for a project. I can not wait until my daughter is older so we can add this to our list of craft activities.

I think this is such a wonderful idea. Something as simple as rocks is being turned into art. How cool is that? I reached out to the lovely Admin of the page and asked her a few questions about this community of creative-minded ladies.

How did the community get started?

Women Who Paint Rocks was set up mid-2017 as the result of a group of free-spirited women getting together on a beautiful afternoon with one key objective: you guessed it, to paint rocks. Well, there were snacks and wine involved too!

A couple of the ladies had been doing this for a while and the rest of us saw it as an amazing way to relax and unwind and unleash our creative talents.

It was a great afternoon and I was immediately hooked. Before I knew it I had a clutch of the most gloriously coloured acrylic paints and a handful of paint brushes of every size and shape. That enjoyable, social afternoon with what has since become my dear, wonderful friends coined the phrase, ‘Women Who Paint Rocks’ and I wanted to find a way to share our designs, both amongst the group and beyond, hence the Facebook page. It isn’t exclusive, it’s an open community to which anybody can post. I also set up an Instagram account to share some of the rocks that are being posted to the Facebook page.

Where are the materials sourced?

This is an activity open to everybody, regardless of where you are in your life or your career and regardless of whether you feel you have a talent for painting or not. Everybody has the talent, we just need to find a way to unlock it. You need a few pots of acrylic paint, a brush or two and a bucket load of rocks!

With the crazy pace of life these days we all need to take time out, slow down, relax and do something that pleases us. For me, I have found that through painting rocks and I can spend many hours with my paints and a few rocks, either on my own or in a social group if I’m needing company.

Living on a small island in the Caribbean means that we are surrounded by beautiful beaches and some of those beaches on the east coast deposit some amazing rocks onto the shoreline. But you don’t need to live near a beach. River rocks are also amazing as they’re usually very smooth and whilst you can find very uniform shapes you can also come across some more obscure ones which are great to get the creative juices flowing.

What inspires the designs?

My inspiration is what surrounds me; the ocean, the sand, the swirling skies, the lush plantations, the beautiful insects and anything else that my eyes fall upon. Sometimes I look at a rock and immediately know what it will become before I even get it home. Other times I turn that rock over in my hand whilst walking around the garden or along the beach until an image comes to my mind that fits the feel of that rock.

I had the idea of sharing the rocks with others and creating a range signifying Barbados, the mother rock if you like (all of the designs in this range include the words Barbados 2017). These rocks are placed around the island and I love to imagine the look on the persons face when they find it and are invited to take it home. I also adore the idea of that rock travelling one mile or thousands of miles before it reaches its new home. The idea of getting people to post their photos to the Facebook page was a way of sharing that joy even further. Also, I don’t have enough room in my house to keep all my rocks!

Do you paint as a hobby or is your art for sale?

I don’t paint to order and I don’t sell my rocks. This isn’t about creating a business or turning a profit; it is purely about creating a community of like-minded people who take pleasure in this simple activity, whether that be painting a rock or hoping to find one. However, I have done a couple of commissions for people (that sounds a very grand term) and will typically ask that a donation is made to the local RSPCA in return. The individual gets something that portrays their sentiment, or grief in some instances, and the charity benefits from a small donation. Win-win! It’s a small way of giving back and one which gives me great pleasure.

If you want to join the community please like and follow our Facebook page or follow the Instagram account, both of which can be found @womenwhopaintrocks